An Apartment in Songdo, Incheon, 'No Ground-Level Access' Due to Safety Issues
Delivery Union: "Risk of Accidents in Slippery Underground Parking Due to Motorcycle Characteristics"
"The Burden Falls Entirely on Delivery Workers"
Previous Parcel Delivery Crises in Dasan New Town and Godeok-dong Also Escalated Conflicts by Prohibiting Ground-Level Access
[Asia Economy Reporter Yoon Seul-gi] As the number of car-free apartment complexes restricting ground-level access for delivery vehicles and motorcycles increases, conflicts between essential workers such as delivery personnel and residents are recurring, but no effective measures have been proposed, causing the problem to repeat.
The Rider Union Incheon Songdo branch, a labor union for delivery workers, announced on the 26th of last month that it would suspend deliveries to the Songdo SK View apartment complex in Yeonsu-gu, Incheon.
In a press release, Rider Union explained, "Since the 10th of this month, the apartment complex has taken measures to restrict motorcycle access by limiting unit calls at the ground floor entrance," adding, "On the 23rd, we notified the apartment residents' representative meeting of the delivery refusal and requested negotiations, but it was rejected."
Regarding this measure, Rider Union stated, "Due to the nature of motorcycles, the underground parking lot is slippery and poses a high risk of accidents, and even experienced veteran riders often fall and get injured on rainy days," adding, "If an accident occurs, the delivery workers bear the full brunt of the damage, so they inevitably avoid passing through the underground parking lot."
Conflicts between delivery workers and apartment management are not new. In March, in some apartment complexes in Songdo International City, Incheon, physical clashes occurred between delivery workers and security guards over motorcycle ground-level access. Rider Union held a press conference urging, "The apartment management, which injured delivery workers while blocking motorcycle entry, should stop their 'gapjil' (abuse of power) and engage in dialogue to prevent recurrence."
On March 30, Rider Union, a delivery workers' union, held a press conference at an apartment in Songdo International City, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon, urging the apartment management to engage in dialogue. [Image source=Yonhap News]
It has been pointed out that the conflicts over ground-level access restrictions resemble the delivery chaos that occurred in 'car-free apartments' such as Dasan New Town in Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province in 2018 and Godeok-dong, Gangdong-gu, Seoul in April this year.
In the Dasan New Town case, after a near-accident in March 2018 where a child was almost hit by a reversing cargo vehicle within the complex designed as a car-free park-style area, the apartment emergency response committee decided to ban vehicle entry into the complex, causing problems. The underground parking lot had height restrictions, making it impossible for delivery vehicles to enter, forcing delivery workers to carry carts themselves for deliveries.
Delivery workers complained that it was difficult to deliver on foot across such a large complex of 1,615 households and demanded that residents come to the parking lot to receive packages. As conflicts between residents and delivery workers escalated due to inconvenience, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport mandated from January 2019 that underground parking lots in park-style apartment complexes be raised to a height of at least 2.7 meters, which temporarily resolved the issue.
On the afternoon of April 2nd, delivery boxes were piled up near the back gate of an apartment complex in Gangdong-gu, Seoul. From the 1st of this month, ground access for delivery vehicles has been prohibited in this apartment complex. [Image source=Yonhap News]
Similarly, the delivery chaos in Godeok-dong also escalated due to the ban on ground-level access. An apartment complex in Godeok-dong announced on April 1 that only underground passage would be allowed because it was designed as a car-free apartment. The apartment management support center added, "If delivery vehicles enter the ground level, accidents may occur and the pavement blocks may be damaged." Built in 2016 and not subject to revised regulations, the underground parking lot height was 2.3 meters, making it impossible for delivery vehicles about 2.6 meters high to enter.
In response, the National Delivery Workers' Union held a press conference on the 14th of last month, stating, "For the health and safety of delivery workers, from today, we will deliver goods only up to the front of the apartment complex and hand them over to residents who come to pick them up." This led to intensified conflicts between delivery workers and residents citing package damage and inconvenience, ultimately resulting in a strike decision by the delivery union. However, the government intervened by proposing the formation of a consultative body, which eased the conflict.
As conflicts between delivery workers and apartment management over ground-level access issues continue to recur, calls for countermeasures are being raised. Experts emphasize that resolving problems in car-free apartment complexes requires prior consensus with residents.
Professor Kim Yong-jin of the Asia-Pacific Logistics Department at Inha University stated, "Delivery work is often short-term or has a high turnover rate. Unlike parcel delivery workers, there are no separate statistics," adding, "Because the industry size and structure are smaller than parcel delivery, it is difficult to respond even if problems arise. In such cases, social consensus through dialogue with apartment residents is necessary."
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